COLLEGES

COLLEGES; Branch's Second Effort Rewards 10-0 Colgate

By PETE THAMEL

Published: November 13, 2003

HAMILTON, N.Y, Nov. 10—
Colgate running back Jamaal Branch, the leading rusher in Division I-AA, spent last season chopping wood to stay in shape and breaking up fights so that he could have some spending money.

It was a detour that began when Branch's grade-point average dipped to 1.78 and his attitude soured on football. So he left Colgate in the spring of 2002 and spent a year at his home in Mashpee, Mass., working as a counselor for troubled teenagers and doing other assorted jobs, such as laboring in a stock room at a Cape Cod mall and as a bouncer at a bar in Hyannis.

''Stressful times, man,'' said Branch, a junior. ''It made me realize what I had, and I almost lost it. I was lucky to get a second chance to come back to such a good school.''

Since returning, he has played with a new focus, rushing for 1,615 yards. He has helped propel Colgate to a 10-0 record this season and a No. 7 ranking in the Division I-AA poll, and has helped extend the nation's longest Division I-A or I-AA winning streak to 16 games.

It is Branch's return, and the steely determination of Colgate's coach, Dick Biddle, that has the school on the cusp of a remarkable season.

Only a home game against Fordham on Saturday and a trip to Holy Cross on Nov. 22 stand in the way of Colgate's first undefeated season since 1932. That Colgate team went unbeaten, untied, unscored upon and uninvited to any bowl games.

Colgate lost at Fordham last season, which prevented it from winning the Patriot League title. If Colgate beats Fordham, the Red Raiders will clinch a share of first place in the Patriot League and receive an automatic bid to the N.C.A.A.'s 16-team I-AA playoff, the sixth time in the 26-season history of I-AA football that Colgate will be participating. But the program has never won it all.

''These opportunities come very rarely in life,'' Biddle said. ''One, you want to take advantage of it. But you also need to enjoy it and not become so worried about the win streak that you can't go out and play and you're tight.''

Biddle served as the running backs coach on Colgate's 0-11 team in 1995 before taking over as the head coach. His hiring raised some eyebrows, but those concerns ended when his first team finished 6-5 after losing its first four games. That began a streak of eight seasons in which Biddle's teams have had winning records and were second or higher in the Patriot League.

''One of the best hires I ever made,'' said Mark Murphy, now the athletic director at Northwestern. ''I think the players just had a respect for him. You could just see it.''

Biddle served as an assistant coach at Colgate from 1977 to 1982 before taking jobs at Virginia Tech, Minnesota and Navy. He returned to Colgate as an assistant coach in 1992.

Over the years, Biddle has earned the Colgate administration's respect through his dedication and no-nonsense style.

Biddle was once given a sandwich board as a gag Christmas gift. The sign had ''Hello'' written on the front and ''Goodbye'' on the back. The joke illustrated how the focused Biddle could walk by people without having to grunt salutations.

Biddle's forthright personality matches the style of his team. Biddle, a two-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference linebacker at Duke, has a defensive philosophy predicated on hitting hard and stopping the run. Colgate is ranked second nationally in rushing defense, yielding just 87.1 yards a game and 11th in total defense, giving up 281.2 yards a game.

Biddle's offense is based on establishing the run, which suits Branch perfectly. At 6 feet and 209 pounds, Branch is averaging 5.8 yards a carry. He churns out yards and runs over defenders rather than dancing around them.

Branch has averaged nearly 28 carries a game this season, and Biddle said Branch's emergence as a consistent player has come through maturity gained from his year away from football.

''I think he really appreciates the second opportunity that he got,'' Biddle said. ''He's really taken advantage of it.''

After the season ends, there will be some suspense about whether Biddle will be around for Branch's senior year.

Biddle will most likely be a candidate for the coaching vacancy at Duke, his alma mater, which fired Carl Franks last month. Biddle, who will be 56 on Nov. 26, said he had not been contacted by Duke, but would listen if he were. Murphy refused to say if Duke contacted him for background information about Biddle, but said he had received calls from colleges about Biddle.

Meanwhile, Biddle is focusing on the next two games. His team is undefeated, his running back is unstoppable and his team's winning streak is the envy of college football.